In March 2014, Montreal International Fuel Facilities Corporation (MIFFC) submitted a project notice to the Ministère du développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MDDELCC) for the airport fuel terminal in the municipality of Montréal-Est.
As part of the assessment process, MIFFC conducted an environmental impact study for the project that was submitted to the MDDELCC in November 2015. Information and consultation sessions were held prior to this submission including two open houses in April and July, 2015. These events assisted MIFFC in presenting the project to the community, as well as collecting feedback, questions, and concerns that could be addressed in the project design and in the environmental impact study.
The project was authorized by order-in-council by the Government of Québec in June 2019. MIFFC has therefore initiated the process of obtaining the required permits, certifications and other approvals from regulatory agencies.
Approach
Throughout the consultation and evaluation process, MIFFC has chosen a proactive, collaborative, and transparent approach with all project stakeholders. For this reason, MIFFC has undertaken a structured consultation process with all stakeholders.
The impact study conducted by the Golder and Associates was submitted on November 6, 2015 to the MDDELCC. The preliminary results of this study indicate the following points:
Building a marine terminal closer to the airports will result in a decrease in GHG emissions by more than 15% in projection of future jet fuel consumption. Provincial and municipal air quality and noise standards are met.
The project will generate significant economic benefits both locally and across Quebec.
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- Municipal tax after construction: Several hundred thousand dollars per year
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- Additional revenue for the Quebec government in taxes; several million dollars
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- Several hundred temporary construction jobs
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- Approximately 20 permanent jobs in operations
A risk analysis was also performed, and results indicate:
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- Any incident occurring at the marine terminal and the rail site would be contained within the industrial area.
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- There is no domino effect in the scenarios analyzed for the marine terminal and the rail site.
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- The risks are low in consideration of the project prevention and mitigation measures
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- Jet fuel is safer than more volatile petroleum products such as gasoline.
The completed environmental assessment study can be found on the BAPE website:
https://www.bape.gouv.qc.ca/sections/mandats/Terminal_Montreal_Est/documents/liste_documents.htm#PR